Business groups,the financial market and modernization*

Business groups are an important aspect of the industrial organization of many developing countries. This paper develops a theory suggesting that they may be organizations that facilitate modernization in the presence of financial market constraints. An important function of the stockmarket is the diversification of risk that comes with specialized, productive technology. But in the face of serious information problems a well functioning stockmarket may fail to emerge, relegating the economy to a low productivity‐poverty trap. Bilateral links between a firm and a group of others may be a more cost effective way to achieve risk‐sharing. Such business groups may be feasible when a full‐fledged stockmarket is not. As modernization takes place, either because information problems become less severe or more firms enter the economy, business groups actually expand in size before being abruptly rendered obsolete by the stockmarket. This is consistent with empirical results from a number of emerging economies.     

Development in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics

This paper outlines the ICT statistical developments that the ABS has undertaken over recent years. These developments have been on both the supply side (ICT industry) and the demand side (use of IT by sector). The content of ABS ICT surveys has changed significantly over the last few years and are expected to develop further in line with industry changes and emerging policy needs.
Recent developments in household collections have been the inclusion of IT use questions in the 2001 Census of Population and Housing and in various ABS social surveys such as Children's Participation in Culture and Leisure Activities. Annual business IT use surveys are now conducted and include topics such as Internet commerce and IT security. Biennial ICT industry surveys are conducted to provide data on ICT production, imports and exports, ICT industry employment, performance and structure information. An Internet activity survey is run every six months and provides regional Internet access details and infrastructure details on Internet service providers.
A major development for 2002–03 will be the compilation of an ICT satellite account. ABS intends to produce an ICT Information Development Plan to guide its future statistical development work in the ICT field.     

LOGISTICS SALIENCE IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

The primary purpose of this paper was to empirically explore some of the reasons that logistics has become more important, or salient, in comparison to other functions within the firm. A survey of 296 managers across multiple industries in the U.S. found logistics becomes more important within the firm when the industry increases in uncertainty, when there is an emphasis on time‐based competition, when there is greater adoption of information technology, and when there is an emphasis on cross‐functional integration.     

Comparing the impacts of Internet technology and national culture on online usage and purchase from a four-country perspective

The Internet has successfully generated an ever-expanding cohort of users for all its major concomitant activities, including information gathering, communications and transactions. So far no attempt has been made to validate whether such a success is so deep as to transcend national cultures. Nor any work has been conducted to compare the internationalisation¹ performances between online usage activities. The current study addresses these two research gaps from the perspective of four countries, i.e. Britain, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. Results show that although the technological forces have been quite successful in internationalising overall online usage activities, they succumb to the cultural forces as far as only the transactions activity, or more colloquially online purchase, is concerned. This indicates the relative difficulty in internationalising online purchase vis-à-vis other online usage activities. Further research on locating a series of step functions or kick-off time points regarding the development of online purchase is suggested.     

THE EFFECT OF INVESTMENT IN INTERORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN A RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN

The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of investment in information technology in a supply chain. The results of that investigation are presented by focusing on an empirically tested supply chain relationship model containing both behavioral and operational constructs. The four behavioral constructs represented in the model are relationship trust, relationship commitment, relationship dependence, and long‐term relationship orientation. The four operational constructs represented in the model are retailer investment in interorganizational information technology, perceived supplier investment in interorganizational information technology, logistics efficiency, and logistics effectiveness. Among other findings, the results of the investigation found that perceived supplier investment in interorganizational information technology has a significant and positive effect on logistics efficiency.     

浅析多媒体技术在车辆工程教学中的应用

随着教育的发展 ,传统的教学方法已不能满足时代的需要 ,亟待运用现代教育技术手段 ,特别是多媒体的教学形式进入课堂 ,以发挥其特有的功能来提高学习效率。本文浅淡了如何在车辆工程教学中运用计算机多媒体的图、文、声、像并茂的特点 ,有效的激发学生的学习兴趣。     

论油田企业质量技术监督特点及发展趋势

从论述油田企业发展与质量技术监督的关系入手，阐述了石油工业质量技术监督工作的发展历史：分析了油田企业质量技术监督的特点，提出 了油田企业质量技术监督的趋势。认为：质量技术监督管理机构和技术检测机构的双重建设将得到进一步加强；建立施工作业质量监督与监理制度，实施勘探开发工程项目监理体制和运行体制，将成为油田企业积极探索并必须取得突破的一大课题。     

基于计算机信息集成技术的房产管理信息系统

基于计算机信息集成技术的房产管理信息系统是房管部门实现房产管理现代化的一种重要途径。这种系统不但具有房产信息管理的输入、查询、检索、修改、计算、统计等一般功能，而且在信息集成技术的支持下还可以实现信息的数据集中、网络共享、并行处理、数据完整等优点。本详细探讨了这种基于计算机信息集成技术的房产信息管理系统系统分析、系统设计以及系统实施等几个重要开发过程的设计思想和作业内容，对计算机信息集成技术的相关内容也进行了一定介绍。     

Do converters facilitate the transition to a new incompatible technology? A dynamic analysis of converters

This paper analyzes the process of transition in standards between incompatible technologies when converters are available. Contrary to a common presumption that converters facilitate the transition from an old technology to an otherwise incompatible new technology, I find circumstances in which the possibility of transition is blockaded by the existence of converters. In the welfare analysis of converters, a distinction is made between ex ante and ex post efficiency effects. Finally, I also analyze the equilibrium behavior in the provision of converters and compare it to the socially optimal outcome.     

是否存在出口外溢的结构性差异——多部门外溢模型及实证

通过拓展Feder两部门外溢模型,本文构建了一个多部门外溢模型来考察出口商品结构变动对技术外溢效果的影响.采用1991-2003年我国30个省市的面板数据,实证结果发现东部地区工业制成品出口存在显著的技术外溢,中部地区技术外溢则集中在初级产品出口部门,同时西部地区出口贸易技术外溢作用不显著.本文进一步检验了各类技术吸收能力对技术外溢效果的影响,结果表明国内企业的研发能力、人力资本积累水平均是影响技术吸收的重要变量,同时金融发展水平的作用还不明显.